While I can't say that it is my favorite lager. The criticism seems a little harsh. Did you get a bottle or was it on draft? It could be an infected bottle or dirty tap lines. What market are you in? I can get it here locally in Nebraska. I tend to drink it because it is local, especially if the alternative is BMC. I have had enough of it to say that it does not taste like bile or crap.

I agree this is not the best lager out there. That little brewery does produce one of the best beers I've ever had though. Certified Evil. That is one strong concoction. Its amazing on tap. A little more easy for me to get since I live less than an hour from the brewery.

While I can't say that it is my favorite lager. The criticism seems a little harsh. Did you get a bottle or was it on draft? It could be an infected bottle or dirty tap lines. What market are you in? I can get it here locally in Nebraska. I tend to drink it because it is local, especially if the alternative is BMC. I have had enough of it to say that it does not taste like bile or crap.

While I can't say I have experienced any production/sanitation issues personally with any of the Lucky Buckets beers, I can say that I have heard those rumors out there from others in the local brewing community for a while now. Which is kind of sad. Zac Triemmert, the head brewer/owner, is a great and smart guy. I know he rarely gets the chance to brew now because he is running the ship, so to speak, and doing a lot of the marketing. Sadly, I think the production/sanitation issues may be a result of them growing too big to fast . As someone mentioned above, give Certified Evil a chance?

Was it just one bottle or were you brave enough to try another bottle in the sixer?

Two were enough to convince me not to open a third.

Post edited & other comments removed.Zac just emailed me, apologized & said he's hoping to make it up to me.Seems he's on the way to MN to pull samples & find out what went wrong.I'm definitely open to trying their other beers.

Was it just one bottle or were you brave enough to try another bottle in the sixer?

Two were enough to convince me not to open a third.

Post edited & other comments removed.Zac just emailed me, apologized & said he's hoping to make it up to me.Seems he's on the way to MN to pull samples & find out what went wrong.I'm definitely open to trying their other beers.

Save the extras for a BJCP off flavor class. Glad to hear Zac got back to you and will hopefuly rectify the situation. I know he is from Minnesota and wants to make a good impression there. Hopefully they solve there QC problems. I read your post prior to the edit and completely agree with everything you said. It sucks when you spend your hard earned money on beer expecting it to be good and you get a bad bottle!

After reading about Zac & learning that he's from the area & has busted his butt to get where he is, I honestly feel bad for the negative review.I truly hope he can find the source of the problem & get it under control.

One thing I was noticing was that he's very much into sour beers.I wonder if cross-contamination of his yeast samples is the culprit.

It can be anything. Our local had a really old filler and it allowed bacteria to stay in an area. After a few batches they had to quietly recall they would take it apart and clean before every bottling day. I forget how many bolts and parts, but it was a crapload, probably took someone a day to take it apart, clean and put it back together. The key is to find the source and elminate.

After reading about Zac & learning that he's from the area & has busted his butt to get where he is, I honestly feel bad for the negative review.I truly hope he can find the source of the problem & get it under control.

One thing I was noticing was that he's very much into sour beers.I wonder if cross-contamination of his yeast samples is the culprit.

No worries. I think we as homebrewers can be a little more opionated then the general public since we know a flaw when we taste it. I hope it all works out for the best.

As far as the sour beer thing, that is a good question. I know Zac was planning on doing a lambic aged on local cherries, but I am not sure where they are at in terms of that project. It has been a little over a year since I toured the brewery. That was prior to their expansion. I do know they are going to do a bunch of one offs distributed in kegs starting with an Oktoberfest. I also know Zac will be in Minnesota doing some tastings over the holiday weekend. If you have time your should try to find him. They should be posting their locations on their Facebook page.

I met with Zac & he gave me a sampler pack.The IPA is great.The Certified Evil & Pre-Prohibition Lager both had a sour flavor that was not quite right.Neither was as bad as the 2 I dumped...But, something's still not right.